xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Psycho Circus Guildhall, 7:00 p.m. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
With the rain finally letting up and the clouds dispersing to reveal the moon shining in the night sky, Bernard and his Celestial Spirit companions had arrived home at last following an incredibly eventful afternoon and evening in town. Standing outside the guildhall, several feet away from the entrance, Bernard looked up at the big top while placing a hand over his pacemaker.
"Well, we're home. Now what?" Corvus asked as he and Vulp looked up at Bernard.
"I'm still figuring that out..." Bernard replied with a tired voice. "...I wonder if she's made any changes since I walked outside..I know it hasn't even been twenty-four hours, but this is my parents I'm talking about. They can do a lot in a short amount of time..." He thought as he noticed how wet his shirt was before looking down at his pants. "Ah..." Bernard muttered.
"We've been outside for hours in the rain." Corvus commented as Bernard looked at the crow, noticing the wet feathers on his body.
"I think I should probably head back to our place and get changed before I walk inside." Bernard said as he turned to look at Vulp's wet fur.
Transforming into light particles, Corvus and Vulp disappeared and entered into Bernard's pacemaker as Bernard raised an eyebrow in confusion to why they had done that. Suddenly, the particles exited from out of his body once again and the Celestial Spirits rematerialized, Corvus and Vulp no longer soaked from the rain on their respective feathers and fur.
"Nice and clean." Corvus said smugly as he and Vulp looked at Bernard.
"...Wish I could do that..." Bernard said with half-closed eyes before walking over to his place.
Walking past the mailbox and Camilla's four-wheel Magi-cycle that was covered by a tarp, Bernard and the Celestial Spirits approached the entry way to the tent house as Bernard walked in by moving the front curtain out of the way. Stepping inside, Bernards eyes widened in shock as the sight before him caught him completely off-guard.
"Uh..." Camilla muttered as she turned her head.
"Er..." Bernard grunted as his jaw dropped.
Standing in the center of the room was Camilla, her shirt around her arms as if she was removing it with her purple bra exposed over her breasts and the fly to her shorts was down to reveal her matching panties as Bernard made a red face of embarrassment. Popping out from behind him, Corvus and Vulp looked at the S-class wizard as they all noticed they walked in on her changing.
"...We came back at a good time..." Corvus commented as blood started to trickle out of the nose holes on his beak.
"Oh crap!" Bernard thought as he looked at his girlfriend's partially exposed form. "Wait, are those wounds?" He thought further as he noticed something peculiar about her body.
"Guh!" Camilla mumbled as her brows furrowed.
Removing her shirt and throwing it on the ground quickly, Camilla reached down towards the floor and picked up one of her boots that was next to her, cocking it back and chucking it in the direction of Corvus.
"Aefh!" Corvus exclaimed as the sole of her boot struck him in the face as Bernard and Vulp turned their heads away to avoid glancing at Camilla's topless body.
"Send them away now!" Camilla angrily exclaimed in the direction of Bernard as he sweated nervously while still blushing.
"Guys, go away!" Bernard shouted as Vulp disappeared into particles and entered into Bernards pacemaker. "Corvus!" He said as he noticed Corvus didn't disappear yet.
"I just popped out from there to clean myself off from the rain and got to see the hot brunettes "ta-ta's!" I'm not going back so soon!" Corvus said defiantly as he pushed off the boot that struck him.
"Order! Not a suggestion!" Bernard screamed towards his crow Celestial Spirit companion as Camilla quickly picked up a spare green V-neck long sleeve shirt to put on before zipping up her fly.
"Oh, for the love of- fine! But if she changes her underwear, you better tell me the color!" Corvus exclaimed in frustration before turning into light particles and disappearing into Bernard's pacemaker.
"Like I'd actually tell you- uh!" Bernard thought as he turned his back in the direction of Camilla as she was now standing directly in front of him, her arms folded and an agitated look in her eyes. "...We... Really need to invest in a front door..." He said in an anxious tone as Camilla's face softened and proceeded to sigh.
"...Yeah... We really do." Camilla replied as she scratched her head. "Can't believe that just happened... Well... At least it was him." She thought with an embarrassed look in her eyes as she walked back towards the bed in the center of the room and sat down on it. "...You're soaked..." Camilla commented as she looked at Bernard and noticed his clothes.
"Ye-yeah, I've been outside..." Bernard said as he removed his beanie and walked over to the changing curtain in the corner of the room.
"...This whole time?" Camilla questioned as she had her eyes on him, watching him grabbing a new set of clothes. "So that's where he was..." She thought.
"Uh-huh..." Bernard said as he got behind the curtain. "Whole guild is probably aware by now I'm no longer the show manager." He thought. "Can I ask you som-" Bernard said until Camilla spoke up.
"I know what you're going to say... Let's just leave it at that." Camilla said while Bernard put on a pair of black pants.
"...Oh..." Bernard said from behind the curtain as he put on an orange shirt with black sleeves and a black hood. "This is unbelievably awkward." He thought for a moment before placing his beanie back on his head.
Walking out from behind the curtain, Bernard approached Camilla and sat next to her on the bed. Shifting his eyes to the side, the beanie sporting wizard glanced at the guild head of security, who was also looking at him with a plain expression on her face.
"...Soooo..." Bernard said as he turned his head towards Camilla.
"...Sooooo?" Camilla replied with a raised eyebrow.
"...I got a new pet..." Bernard said as he pointed at the pin on his beanie that contained Flurry the snowman golem.
"...Cool, I guess?" Camilla said with an uninterested tone.
"Seriously, that's the best I could do for conversation at a time like this?!" Bernard thought with frustration towards himself. "I mean, it's... Uhhh..." He mumbled in an attempt to continue speaking.
"...It's been a day..." Camilla said while looking away from Bernard, causing him to close his mouth.
"Definitely has been..." Bernard thought as he looked in the same direction Camilla was facing.
"I'm happy you didn't go too far though." Camilla said as they both continued to sit on the bed.
"Huh?" Bernard muttered as he looked at his girlfriend.
"Didn't want to drag you back home again like last time." Camilla said with a small smile forming on her face.
"Still a touchy subject... Maybe a joke might lighten the mood..." Bernard thought for a moment. "You wouldn't be the one dragging me though." He replied as Camilla's eyes widened.
"Why's that?" Camilla asked.
"Fastest way to make a lot of distance from this place is on your Magi-cycle. Don't want to steal your stuff so I'd make you come with." Bernard said with a dumb look on his face as Camilla stared at him briefly.
"...Pfft!" Camilla muttered as her face lit up. "Bahahahahaa!" She exclaimed, bursting into a laughter that caused her to lay back on the bed whilst clutching her stomach, Bernard making an embarrassed expression in response to her reaction. "Oh my god, was that some attempt to be charming!? Hahahahaha!" Camilla said while looking upward at him from the bed.
"He-hey! Don't make fun of me!" Bernard said with a blush on his face. "That was just a joke! Okay?!" He continued with a frustrated tone as Camilla sat back up.
"Heheh- ow... Hehehe." Camilla giggled while briefly complaining about her wounds for a moment. "Sorry, I just wasn't expecting that from you." She said with a warm smile on her face. "But I do like it..." Camilla thought quietly.
"Mmmm..." Bernard grumbled as he locked eyes with Camilla. "Mind me asking about the bruises?" He said as Camilla looked down at herself.
"I got these sometime after you left today." Camilla explained. "I definitely won that fight if Marlene let me out of the infirmary before Alfana. Think she's still in there right now." She thought as she rubbed her backside.
"How?" Bernard said in intrigue. "The only way she could have gotten wounds like those are if she was in a brawl of some kind... Well, first point for me as a better show manager. Brawls weren't common under my control, mom!" He thought while quietly condemning the person who took his job away from him.
"Bit of a story, really..." Camilla said with a headshake as Bernard looked at her.
"...You need anything?" Bernard asked. "I could give you a massage or maybe some buttered toast or something?" He said as he stood up from the bed.
"I'm good on food and I'm a bit too sore for a massage, to be honest." Camilla said with a wry smile towards her boyfriend as he rubbed the back of his head.
"Uhhh... Okay then..." Bernard said with an unsure tone. "A day that consisted of kissing to the point of annoyance until my mom walked in to make oatmeal, my parents revealing how wealthy they are, me losing my job, slicing ghost crawdads at a ramen shop and building a child snowman golem and then coming home to find my girlfriend looking like she was in a street fight... What's tomorrow going to be like?" He thought with exasperation.
"Think I might hit the hay early tonight." Camilla said as she lifted her legs and laid on the bed with her head on one of the pillows.
"I guess Harriet and Daphne took care of the bar?" Bernard questioned.
"Pretty much..." Camilla replied. "Everyone was still chatting about the fight before I walked out of the building." She thought.
"How's uhhhh... How's the others?" Bernard questioned further as Camilla looked at him.
"They're fine." Camilla said as she noted the uneasy look in his eyes.
"Right..." Bernard said.
"Do you need anything?" Camilla asked as she continued to lay on the bed.
"...Wish you could punch my mother in the head but you're in no state for that." Bernard said jokingly.
"Pft..." Camilla snorted. "Was more of a kick to the head, honey." She thought with a smirk and a headshake.
"...I'm going to go." Bernard said as Camilla raised an eyebrow at him.
"Oh?" Camilla said in interest.
"Don't worry, I won't be far." Bernard said as he walked towards the exit to the tent house.
"Better be home later..." Camilla said as Bernard turned back to look at her.
"Well, you'll be awake to see me." Bernard said with a smirk on his face before walking out of the room.
"Heh..." Camilla laughed before shifting her head to look upward. "Thought he'd be downer than that... He's even showing a bit of a sense of humor." She thought before reaching into her rear pocket. "Hmmmmmm..." Camilla muttered as she pulled out some small objects.
In her hand was a blank trio of Daphne's Capture Pins that Bernard uses to store some of his pets, the three of them in-between each of her fingers before placing them next to her on the bed. Closing her eyes, Camilla attempted to rest as Bernard walked inside of the Psycho Circus big top, looking around at the main hall and the small amount of guildmembers occupying the tables and chairs.
"It's late so most have left, I guess." Bernard thought as he looked around, no one directly noticing his presence.
Looking upwards towards the second floor, Bernard steeled himself as he proceeded to walk towards the stairs and ascended the steps. Walking past the tables and stools of the upper floors, he headed down the hallway and passed by several doors until stopping at one door in particular. Breathing in heavily, Bernard reached out towards the door and grabbed the handle, turning it and opening the door to reveal the pantry for the guildhall's snacks.
"...This ain't my dad's office..." Bernard thought with annoyance as the room that was here before wasn't here when he opened its door. "...Dad! Put your office back here!" He shouted loudly after closing the door.
Suddenly, a magic circle appeared in front of the pantry door, glowing over the frame for a brief moment. After the circle disappeared, Bernard reached for the door handle yet again and opened it, the room on the other side being the office of guild master Barnum O'Halloran with the aforementioned wizard sitting at his desk with a pen in his hand and a copy of Sorcerer Weekly in front of him.
"You rang?" Master Barnum said while not looking directly at his son, preoccupied with the magazine in front of him.
"Give me one minute." Bernard said towards his father as the bowling pin shaped man raised an eyebrow while spinning the pen around in his hand. "Corvus, Vulp. Come out." He said while looking at his pacemaker as the Celestial Spirit's light particles emerged from beneath his shirt, the crow and fox materializing beside him.
"Yo." Corvus said plainly as he and Vulp looked at Bernard as he was removing the pins from his beanie.
"I want you guys to stay out here while I do something..." Bernard said as he looked at his father, the two Celestial Spirits looking over and noticing the Psycho Circus guild master.
"Whoa, what's going on?" Corvus questioned as Vulp made a concerned expression as Bernard removed Zaphkiel's coin necklace from around his neck, then Baurs' stone bracelet and then all three of the carriable cat plushie men from his belt, holding all of them in his hands.
"Vulp, I want you to hold on to these." Bernard said as Vulp raised an eyebrow before transforming his tail into a pair of hands, Bernard passing all of his trinkets that contained his other creatures to the fox Celestial Spirit. "Now, you..." He said as he looked at his pacemaker, tapping on it a few times. "Formosa, only form a portion of yourself then attach to the walls and ceiling." Bernard instructed as slime started to emerge from the area around his heart.
As the blue, red and black slime with boney spikes came out of him, it started to move towards the walls and the ceiling, clinging to it as it wriggled with green dot eyes forming along it. Unsure of what was going on, Corvus and Vulp merely looked around as they saw Formosa coat the hallway in its biomass.
"Formosa, do not do a thing until I say so." Bernard ordered before looking at Corvus and Vulp once again. "Now with most of its mass out of me, I'm all alone." He thought.
"Going to need an idea of what you're doing here, kid." Corvus said, wondering what was happening.
"Like I said..." Bernard said as he turned to look at his father, who still wasn't looking at his son. "I want to talk..." He continued as he walked into Barnum's office, closing the door behind him and leaving all of his pets outside of the room.
"Mhhhmmhhmmmm" Master Barnum hummed as Bernard walked over to the coffee table in the center of the room and pushed it slightly to move it closer to Barnum's desk to use a seat before walking around and sitting in front of the desk on it.
"Dad, I went-" Bernard said until Barnum spoke up.
"Not now, I am in the middle of something." Master Barnum said while still not looking at his son. "Sorcerer Weekly's crosswords are always such a pain in the keister, the person behind them must be an absolute riddle master." He said while poking his pen on one of the boxes. "Eight down, starts with an "A," eight letter word, the "refining of cheese."' Barnum said.
'"Affinage."' Bernard said with half-closed eyes as Barnum finally tilted his head up to look at his son before checking the crossword.
"It fits. Nice work, young man." Master Barnum said with a smirk. "Now let's see, fourteen across is-" He said, trying to go through more crosswords until Bernard rolled his eyes and stood up from his seat, reaching over with his hand and grabbing the magazine and pen from his father's desk.
'"Cutlery," "fingernail," "soundbox," "rhubarb," and a space relative to a fireplace is called an "inglenook."' Bernard said with a frustrated tone as he slammed the magazine back down on the desk while his father looked at him, a moderately impressed look on his face.
"Hmmmm... Not too shabby." Master Barnum said as he picked up the copy of Sorcerer Weekly and looked at the completed crossword. "Would have liked to do that myself but I will give credit where credit is due." He said with a smirk on his face.
"I didn't come in here to help you with crosswords." Bernard said with a serious tone in his voice.
"Ahhh, no, you most certainly did not." Master Barnum said as he sat back in his chair.
"Dad, I went to two of the businesses in town you have loans with." Bernard said with a calm tone.
"Oh?" Master Barnum muttered.
"I... Decided to help them earlier today..." Bernard said. "They had some issues, and I had the free time." He continued as Barnum listened.
"What kinds of issues?" Master Barnum asked with intrigue.
"Ramen shop by a guy named Pavernact had a problem with ghosts in the cupboards and Mr. Nygmus' crafting shop lost a golem that I helped fix and bought." Bernard explained with a serious look in his eyes.
"...You never could resist the temptation to help others." Master Barnum said with smirk on his face.
"Now that I lost my job here, that's all I can do." Bernard replied.
"Ah yes." Master Barnum said as he looked at his son. "You don't have your managerial position in the guild anymore." He continued, bringing up Bernards employment status.
"You're acting like you didn't just agree with mom to do that earlier today..." Bernard said with an upset tone.
"Now, now." Master Barnum said as he snapped his fingers, a small magic circle appearing on the desk and a tissue box materializing in front of Bernard. "You feel like going off about it like normal, least I should do is give you some paper." He said.
"Oh, knock it off!" Bernard said as he swatted away the tissue box with his hand. "Do you have any idea-" He said loudly before Barnum spoke up to cut him off.
"Bernard." Master Barnum said with a serious tone of voice, causing Bernard to look at his father, blinking several times in confusion from the suddenness.
"Huh?" Bernard mentally muttered.
"One of these days, I will die." Master Barnum said with no smile on his face, Bernard's eyes widening as he sat down on the table close to the desk. "Your mother, she will pass away too. Warwick, Pietro, Harriet. All of us "old bloods."' He continued while sitting forward with his hands clasped together.
"...Dad?" Bernard thought as he swallowed the spit in his mouth in a showing of nervousness towards his father's tonal shift.
"But I'm going to level with you, I want to know something. Anyone can answer a crossword puzzle, but this is a question only you have the answer to." Master Barnum said. "I want to know if you want this." He said while pointing at the ceiling, prompting Bernard to look up.
"Knowing him, he would have conjured something on the ceiling for a gag but..." Bernard thought as he noticed there was nothing above them.
"I want to know for certain whether or not you want this guild and all it entails." Master Barnum said as Bernard shifted his eyes back towards his father. "That you want this life." He said as Bernard anxiously stared at his father.
"I..." Bernard said, struggling to form words. "I... I knew this conversation would happen eventually but this... This isn't how I expected it to go..." He thought as he started to turn his head away.
"Look at me." Master Barnum said towards his son as Bernard quickly jerked his head back in the guild master of Psycho Circus' direction.
"Running a guild like ours is a challenge. It's filled with ups, and it's filled with downs. It's difficult but also rewarding..." Master Barnum explained as the beanie sporting wizard looked him in the eye. "That said... If you say "no."' He continued.
"If I say "no?"' Bernard repeated.
"...I will understand." Master Barnum said with a sincere smile forming on his face whilst taking the hat off his head.
"...Huh?" Bernard muttered.
"...If you say "no" to the position of guild master, I will respect your position." Master Barnum said as he pulled himself away from Bernard, leaning back in his chair. "All I will have to do is plan accordingly." He said as Bernard fell silent.
After hearing his father's words, different emotions raced around in Bernard's head, a mixture of sadness, envy, frustration and desire.
"...If... If it's someone else..." Bernard thought as his eyes started moving in directions and sweat beginning to form on his face. "If it's not me... Someone else will come in and... No... This guild..." He thought with his brows starting to furrow as he stood up from his seat.
"And the answer is?" Master Barnum thought as he looked at his son slam his hands down on the table with a loud slam.
"...I don't want to be the next guild master..." Bernard said with a quiet tone. "I need to be the guild master..." He said with rising anger in his voice. "The only person right for the position of "guild master" of Psycho Circus... Is me!" Bernard shouted.
"...Is that your answer?" Master Barnum said as his body started to glow, taking Bernard aback by the sudden confrontational voice he had.
"Guh!" Bernard mentally muttered as his guild master father stood up in his chair and stepped onto his desk.
"Do you plan to hold yourself to that ideal?" Master Barnum said as he put his hat back on.
"Dad..." Bernard said until swallowing all the spit in his mouth and taking a deep breath. "I am the next guild master of Psycho Circus! You hear me, you coot?!" He said as he glared at his father, getting in his face.
With the magical aura around his body disappearing, the first guild master of Psycho Circus proceeded to smile at his son as he jumped backwards, backflipping into the chair behind his desk. Reaching into a drawer in his desk, Barnum pulled out his cane and pointed the bottom of the cane at his startled son.
"Perfect! You can take over when I retire!" Master Barnum said with a goofy smile on his face.
Suddenly, silence permeated throughout the room as Bernard stared at his father with a dumbfounded expression on his face. Blinking a few times in his bewildered state, the beanie sporting wizard raised a finger and tilted his head slightly.
"...Huh?" Bernard said. "...What?" He continued to question.
"Something the matter?" Master Barnum said with a raised eyebrow.
"What?!" Bernard repeated himself.
"Oh, you're confused about what I meant. I'm not retiring from the position anytime soon." Master Barnum said with a plain tone as Bernard's jaw dropped. "I still want to be running things here for a good while longer, especially now that Alfana is here. Got to keep busy, you know?" He said while stretching, making circles with his arms.
"Bu-bu-but what was with that whole "I'll die one day, and I want to know if you want this" stuff you just said?!" Bernard questioned loudly.
"Oh, I will die one day, and I would like Psycho Circus to stay a "family business" like your mother wants but that doesn't mean I am just going to give you the "keys" immediately." Master Barnum said as Bernard slumped down into a seated position on the table again.
"Is "mood whiplash" a talent for you?!" Bernard exclaimed in anger. "I can't believe I thought this would be totally different than normal! He would be doing stupid crap!" He thought.
"That said, I'm happy." Master Barnum said as Bernard's face softened slightly. "All I wanted was to know the guild would be in your more-than-capable hands but, "retirement" is for the tired." He continued with a smile on his face. "And I can assure you, me and your mother are not exactly in the mood for that kind of rest." Master Barnum said as he got out of his chair and walked around it.
"...Well... What do I do now around here? Mom has my job, and you aren't giving up your position." Bernard said while looking at his father. "Whole reason I said I wanted to be the next guild master a moment ago was because I thought he was just going to give me the job immediately after I said it!" He thought.
"Now... You start." Master Barnum said as he motioned for his son to follow him.
'"Start?"' Bernard thought in continued confusion.
Standing up, Bernard followed his father to a corner of the room as the guild master raised his cane into the air and a large magic circle appeared underneath both of their feet. Meanwhile, in the infirmary, Alfana laid on one of the beds, still dressed in her businesswoman-like combat attire and reading the instruction manual for a board game to pass the time while she recovered from the fight that she had earlier that day between herself and Camilla.
"Owwwww..." Alfana quietly mumbled to herself as she struggled to read the small print of the manual. "Damn it, Camilla... I know that fight was to "impress and destress," but I can barely read this with the blurry vision you gave me from that one kick to my head!" She mentally whined before putting the manual down on the nightstand next to her bed.
Sensing magical energy, Alfana sat up slightly as she noticed a magic circle had formed in the room with her raising an eyebrow in curiosity. Watching as her husband and son materialized in the center of the circle, Alfana saw Barnum waving at her before locking eyes with Bernard, the beanie sporting young man making a surprised expression as he saw the rough state his mother was in.
"What the heck happened to you...?" Bernard asked in a bewildered voice. "First Camilla and now mom, what the hell happened while I was gone to have caused this many people to be injured?!" He thought.
"Barney? Bernard?" Alfana said as she looked at her family.
"Bout time I stopped by to see you, my dear." Master Barnum said as he walked forward and stood next to her bed as Alfana lifted her legs over the side. "How are you feeling?" He questioned.
"Have to admit, Marlene's gotten much better as a medic." Alfana mentioned as she put a hand on her own shoulder. "The salves and tonics that she's been making lately certainly have dulled some of the pain in my back and the headache is nonexistent, but I really could use a nap." She said as Bernard approached her, prompting her to turn her attention towards her son.
"...I have a lot of things I want to say to you right now... But I don't think I should..." Bernard thought as he awkwardly locked eyes with his fortune telling mother.
"You're probably wondering why I am in such a state... Guess you can say there was some "pushback" to me taking over from you, hehe." Alfana said with a jovial tone as Bernard just continued to look at her with a bothered expression on his face before sitting down on the bed opposite of his mother. "Something the matter?" She asked towards her son.
"...Mom, I-" Bernard said to speak up until Barnum raised his hand to cut him off, the beanie sporting wizard looking at his father and the calm smile on his face.
"Allow me, if you don't mind." Master Barnum said politely to Bernard as Bernard looked away from everyone.
"Hmmmm?" Alfana muttered.
"Alfana, I would like you to be the first person to hear this." Master Barnum said as Alfana raised an eyebrow towards her husband. "I'd like to reintroduce this young man to you." He said as he raised a hand in a presentational manner.
'"Reintroduce" my own son?" Alfana said with a confused tone.
"Just get on with it, dad..." Bernard thought with embarrassment and a vein popping slightly on the side of his head.
"This is Bernard O'Halloran, our son and, officially, the next guild master of Psycho Circus." Master Barnum said as Alfana's eyes widened.
"...Huh?" Alfana muttered as she looked at Bernard. '"Officially?"' She reiterated.
'"Officially."' Master Barnum said with a bright smile on his face.
'"Officially...?"' Alfana said again with disbelief as she looked at Bernard who sighed before turning his head back towards his mother.
'"...Officially..."' Bernard said with a tone of confirmation.
'"Officially!"' Master Barnum said again with the same happy voice.
'"Officially? Officially... Officially!?"' Alfana thought with surprise until fully realizing what Bernard and Barnum were saying. "Yo-you... You're "officially?!"' She exclaimed loudly as she hopped to her feet, towering over everyone. "Ah..." Alfana muttered as she felt her legs gave out, now stumbling forward.
"Whoa!" Bernard shouted in surprise as he got to his feet and quickly moved his arms underneath his mothers to prevent her from falling down and hurting herself further. "I got'cha." He said whilst keeping Alfana moderately upright, his arms around her torso in a way similar to a hug. "Dang, how beat up are you- whoa?!" Bernard thought until he noticed his mother was looking at him with tears in her eyes and snot dripping from her nose.
"...This is a hug... This is a hug! You're hugging your mother! Waahahhahaha!" Alfana said while beginning to cry in happiness as she wrapped her arms around her son's shoulders. "You're going to be the second guild massstteeerrr!" Waahahahaha!" She screamed out in happiness while pressing her face against her sons.
"Ewww! Stop it! You're getting your boogers all over me!" Bernard screamed out in a complaining tone as he felt the drippings from her eyes and nostrils getting on him.
'"Mother and son love," at its finest." Master Barnum commented as Bernard sat his mother back down on her bed, both of them starting to wipe their faces.
"Shut up, dad..." Bernard said with a tired tone. "And you, this is not a big deal. Stop crying in happiness." He said towards Alfana.
"How can I not be happy!?" Alfana exclaimed at Bernard, causing him to step back slightly. "The only thing that would make this better is if we were playing a collectible card game with well-formed decks and intense strategies!" She said with a smile on her face. "Or better, you help me develop a board game to sell for the family side business!" Alfana thought in bliss.
"So, a full explanation of the hierarchy is now in order." Master Barnum said, catching Bernard and Alfana's attention. "I will still be the guild master around here for the foreseeable future. Alfana will be in charge of the show and guildhall operations." He said as Alfana looked at her son.
"Sorry." Alfana said with an apologetic smile towards her son who only reacted with folding his arms.
"That still doesn't explain what I'm going to be doing from now on." Bernard said in response to his father's words.
"You, Bernard, are now the designated "heir apparent" to Psycho Circus. No one in Earth Land can take that away from you." Master Barnum said as Alfana quietly clapped her hands.
"Okay? But that doesn't give me a full idea of "what" I'll be in charge of with you two here." Bernard thought as he scratched the back of his head.
"For now, go home and get some rest." Master Barnum instructed towards Bernard. "As well as you." He said towards his wife as she nodded in compliance. "Tomorrow, we shall begin." Barnum continued.
'"Begin" what?" Bernard replied.
"Your successorship training!" Alfana said as she hopped up to her feet once more. "Gah!" She exclaimed in pain as she felt something crack in her back. "Damn it, I'm ruining it! This is a huge moment and I'm ruining it!" Alfana mentally complained as Bernard helped his mother back onto her bed once again.
"Seriously, what the heck happened to you?" Bernard said with exasperation in his voice.
"Everyone, put a hand in!" Master Barnum said as he extended a hand forward with Alfana placing a hand atop her husbands.
"Been waiting for this moment for years!" Alfana said with a chipper tone as both of Bernard's parents looked at him with sparkles in their eyes.
"...Guess I'm doing a good thing for these two... Congrats Warwick, I did hit up my parents on the "Bernard Reconciliation Tour" or whatever..." Bernard thought as he put his hand on top of his mothers and fathers.
"Today marks the creation of the "O'Halloran Family Triumvirate!"' Master Barnum said with a joyful tone. "Officially!" He continued.
"Officially!" Alfana said with a similar cheeriness.
"...Can we all stop saying "officially?" It's getting annoying..." Bernard said with a bothered tone.
Officially! It's the officially official officiation of the official creation of the official family dynamic the world has officially been waiting for... Officially! After returning home and getting a nice glimpse of his girlfriend changing her clothes, Bernard decided to go back into the guildhall to talk to his father, the one-on-one discussion that the world has been waiting roughly... I don't know, a few years for. I don't know who cared that much but it finally happened and with it, Bernard has finally said it: "I want to be the guild master!" It took so long but the Clown Prince has finally hit the gong of moving forward... After his father retires because the man isn't in the mood yet to stop working! Now that it's been established that Bernard will become the guild master, a triumvirate has been formed between the O'Halloran Family members and Bernard is to officially begin his successorship training. What will happen now that Bernard has taken this step? Will he be able to make decisions in the guild again? Will there be more obstacles than expected? Find out next time on Menagerie II!
Author's Note: (To quote Kiefer Sutherland wishing he was as good as David Hayter as "Snake"; "kept you waiting, huh?" :P)